The cats of TortoiseshellClan- Brindlepaw's mistake
by Starkit's Prophecy fan
Summary: Juniper Spots is just an ordinary settler living in TortoiseshellClan. With the help of her best friend, Specklefall, and young Spottedpaw, has to solve the mystery of the missing apprentice, and figure out why she left. A/N: sorry I changed it so much. I figured this works better as a series. We get POV of both Spottedpaw and Juniper Spots in this story. SKPF out.
1. Brindlepaw didn't mean it

A diluted tortoiseshell she cat swiftly darted through the undergrowth. A mouse crawled warily out of its hole. As soon as it turned, she quickly pounced and bit into its throat. It died almost instantly, and the tortoiseshell had some fresh kill for her clan. She bounded back to her camp through the thorn bushes and towards the queen's den.

"Specklefall?" She whispered.

"Yes, Juniper spots?" Replied a small voice.

"I brought some fresh kill especially for you. I know you'll be expecting your kits soon."

"Thank you. How are the other settlers doing?"

"Oh, they're well. It isn't quite leafbare yet. Fire cone is a strong cat. Blossoming flowers has a thick coat, so she won't be too cold."

"Good. I need to know how the clan is doing while I am in the nursery. Now I suggest you tell Ivystar what her apprentice has been up to these days."

"Oh. I will Specklefall! I'll go tell her..."

Three days had passed since Brindlepaw had been punished. She was a very large cat, and strong as well. Sometimes Juniper spots wished she wasn't such a coward. She knew she'd never be a warrior, but she made a good settler according to her friend Specklefall. Hollyblaze bounded through the thorns into the camp.

"Brindle-paw is g-gone!"

"What happened?" Shouted Brindlefang, the very cat who Brindlepaw was named after.

"I-I w-was hunt-ing w-with h-her a-a-and she- she- fell o-off into th-the river!"

"No!" Yowled the medicine cat apprentice, Spottedpaw. She was tearing up at the news of her friend.

"Sh-she di-dnt d-die! Sh-she w-washed away! Sh-she was o-o-okay!"

"But why wouldn't she come back?" Mewed Redpool, the deputy.

"I-I wish I kn-new!"

Juniper spots felt guiltier than ever. Was it because she told Ivystar what she had done? It wasn't that terrible. All Brindlepaw had wanted to do was help her Clanmates...


	2. Spottedpaw is not okay

Spottedpaw ran out of the camp, tears streaming down her head. Brindlepaw and Spottedpaw had been friends since they were kits. She couldn't let anything happen to her now. Even if stuttering Hollyblaze said she was fine, Spottedpaw didn't care. Spottedpaw bounded through the forest, reaching the edge of the river. She followed along it for what seemed like moons, until the energetic midday sun turned into a tired dusk sunset.

"Brindlepaw!" Spottedpaw yowled to the trees. "Brindlepaw!"

Eventually, Spottedpaw gave up hope and accepted that her best friend was gone. She trotted back to camp, catching a vole for Ivycloud, the elder that used to tell her and Brindlepaw tales of his warrior days. She remembered how as kits they would play with moss outside the elder's den, and Dapplespots would come out and tell them that she remembered being that young, once. Ivycloud would follow and ask them to come in, as the other elders would say, "Not this again," or "Ivycloud, surely not another one of your tall tales?" and he would exclaim with pride that every word he uttered was pure truth! He continued as the two kits were awestruck at how amazing Ivycloud claimed his warrior days were.

Spottedpaw was snapped back into reality as she was hit by a creature that jumped out of a thorn bush.

"Spottedpaw! There you are! We thought that you had gotten captured by a lonely No-fur or worse, killed by a hungry fox!" Shouted the creature who was actually her worried mentor, Mossspots. Mossspots got up. "I'm sorry for the rude interruption, but I've been looking for you all day,"

"It's fine. I was just going back to camp with this vole. I got it for Ivycloud,"

"And a plump one at that! It's shaping up to be a good Newleaf. But the most important thing right now is that you're safe,"

"What?" Spottedpaw exclaimed. "What about Brindlepaw? She's not! She's gone..."

"Yes, but there's nothing we can do about that! She was swept away, maybe drowned, even if Hollyblaze is still hopeful. But the important thing is that you're okay!"

"Okay? I am not okay!" Spottedpaw sped back to camp. She wasn't okay. She was determined. "I swear by StarClan that I will find Brindlepaw, even if it's the last thing that I ever do!"


End file.
